Geologists: scientists who study the forces that make and shape the earth Geology: the study of planet Earth's land surface constructive forces: forces that build up landmasses like mountains on Earth's surface destructive forces: forces that slowly wear away mountains and surface such as what an ocean does to rocks continents: seven large landmasses on earth seismic waves: a vibration that travels through Earth carrying the energy released during the earthquake pressure: force pushing on a surface or area crust: layer of rock that makes up the Earth's outer skin basalt: a dark, dense, igneous rock with a fine texturefound in oceanic crust granite: a usually light-colored rock found in continental crust mantle: layer of hot, solid material Earth's crust and core lithosphere: means "stone" and is the mantle and crust together asthenosphere: means "weak" soft rock material that can flow slowly outer core: layer of molten metal that surrounds the inner core inner core: dense ball of solid metal
Table of Contents
1.1 Earth's Crust in Motion
Vocabulary
Geologists: scientists who study the forces that make and shape the earth
Geology: the study of planet Earth's land surface
constructive forces: forces that build up landmasses like mountains on Earth's surface
destructive forces: forces that slowly wear away mountains and surface such as what an ocean does to rocks
continents: seven large landmasses on earth
seismic waves: a vibration that travels through Earth carrying the energy released during the earthquake
pressure: force pushing on a surface or area
crust: layer of rock that makes up the Earth's outer skin
basalt: a dark, dense, igneous rock with a fine texturefound in oceanic crust
granite: a usually light-colored rock found in continental crust
mantle: layer of hot, solid material Earth's crust and core
lithosphere: means "stone" and is the mantle and crust together
asthenosphere: means "weak" soft rock material that can flow slowly
outer core: layer of molten metal that surrounds the inner core
inner core: dense ball of solid metal
Outline
Science of Geology
Center of the Earth
The crust
The mantle
The core
Earth's magnetic field